The world of electric and hybrid
vehicles is progressing and growing at a rapid pace. While most
people still think of hybrids and electric vehicles as low
performance machines, there are an increasing number of
high-performance electric vehicles being unveiled.

The first
high performance EV was the Tesla Roadster with good performance
thanks to the impressive torque of the electric motor. Audio has
unveiled its latest concept car at the International Motor Show in
Frankfurt called the Audi
e-tron which just so happens to look like an electrified Audi
R8.

The most impressive feature of the concept isn’t just
its all-electric power train, but its tremendous amount of torque.
Audi claims that the e-tron has a torque rating of 3,319.03
lb-ft. All that torque is generated by four individual electric
motors situated at each wheel allowing the vehicle to be all-wheel
drive.

The car has a total of 313 HP and promises to hit 60 mph in about 4.8 seconds. A more impressive number is that the
car can go from about 37 mph to 74 mph in only 4.1 seconds. The
all-electric range for the lithium-ion battery pack is 154 miles.

The EV is a large beast at 3,527 pounds
and it measures in at 74.5-inches wide x 167.72-inches long and
48.43-inches tall with a wheelbase of 102.36-inches. The massive
single battery pack alone weighs 1,036 pounds.

"We are
trying to find a concept that requires no compromises," says
Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, Technical
Development. "Electromobility means more to us than just
electrifying conventional cars. Instead, we are dedicated to a
holistic approach to all aspects of the topic."

The limited slip differential does its job to the best it could do, but as software gets better and better, I can only see that having an independent motor system (if they are independent) can only be safer since on the fly failure detection is possibility.If it isn't independent drive train, then failure of one motor isn't so bad, but I would imagine all that uneven torque would twist the body.

Sure, the technology could be nifty indeed. I'd rather the car manufacturers stick to KISS (Keep it Stupid Simple) though if at all possible--doing so reduces potential time in the shop for repairs and maintenance.

Remember, just because it is electrical rather than mechanical does not make it less prone to faults. I remember our families 82 Cadillac Seville (leave out American car jokes), it was cutting edge with all the latest electronic gadgets and gizmos. The thing was always breaking down, and about 80% of the time it was due to electrical related malfunctions.

The more complex you make something, the more prone it is to being problematic. Sometimes a simple but practical design is better than a complex and elegant one.

In this car's case, it isn't twisting the body that is the problem if one engine were to fail, it is what happens to the weight distribution due to the uneven power output. If you're in a tight turn pushing the limits, any unintended change in weight bias to the traction can lead to potentially awful results. This is why autocross/track racing is so fun and exciting at the same time. There's a lot more to it than just turning your wheel and stepping on the gas. Throttle control is equally as critical as when you turn or brake.

Electric drive might make that bit more complex, but I bet the rest of the car's systems will get a lot simpler. There probably won't be an alternator/starter, fuel pump, separate brake system, transmission(?), driveshaft and maybe even no radiator/cooling loop.

Well, I think the cooling part might be necessary, It does take a lot more to burn, but once those cells start boiling the whole car is going to be melted into the cracks on the road even if you extinguish the flames or not, lithium can self ignite in water.